


All Is Bright

by ambaila



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU, Christmas, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21654481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambaila/pseuds/ambaila
Summary: Her friends thought she was crazy. Sometimes she thought she was crazy. Brienne of Tarth spending the holidays with the Lannisters. And enjoying herself.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 11
Kudos: 44





	1. Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 - Mistletoe.  
> Based on an advent calendar prompt I saw on Tumblr.

It, at the beginning, did make Brienne uneasy that she was to spend her holidays with one of the most prominent families in all of Westeros. A sleek car pulled up to the three story home, that the Lannister family affectionately called Casterly and she was in it. It was Brienne's fourth year with the family and the act of voluntarily spending her holidays with them, perplexed the few friends she had. The mere fact that she was in a relationship with Jaime Lannister perplexed her friends and her father. It would be lying if she said, her dating Jaime hadn't surprised her, but people change; their lives were changing and for the holidays, her presence was needed. 

After all people were expecting to see her at Jaime's side when it was announced, he was taking over the coveted Lannister Senate seat.

Jaime had driven up the night before, allowing Brienne to come at a leisurely pace. To settle herself in without feeling pressured. She had grown accustomed to Casterly, even began to love it. Yet, it meant a lot to her that Jaime was letting her come on her own and just deal with it on her own terms. 

As always, Brienne was met with a large and grand staircase when she entered the foyer of Casterly. The second floor was made up of two long hallways and two identical miniature apartments. Brienne went left where, at the end of the hallway she was met with a door that led her into the apartment. It was made up of two bedrooms, another kitchen, two bathrooms, and a living room area. Her favorite part of the entire area was the balcony that overlooked the water.

Jaime had inherited it from his father. She let herself venture to guess that when the time came, they would move upstairs to the third floor where it was another apartment like set up. Just grander. 

A soft knock came, just as Brienne was setting the rest of her clothes in the closet next to Jaime's. Expecting the knocker to be Jaime, she threw open the door with feigned annoyance. She was ready to lash out at him for making her travel alone, but that died on her lips. Her face softened and surprise filled her gaze. 

"Podrick," she breathed in a rush. 

It had been nearly 5 years since he decided to stay in Winterfell and she had chosen King's Landing. He had grown - she saw it in the lines around his eyes. He seemed taller too. She was happy to see him. His presence at Casterly instead of Winterfell was questionable. 

"Jaime is in the stables," Podrick explained. "Word got around you had arrived." 

"And he sent you?" 

"Took my time coming up," Podrick told her. "I'm your new bodyguard." 

"I don't need a bodyguard," she said, stepping out into the hallway. 

"You will." 

Brienne rolled her eyes good graciously. He attempted to follow her quietly, but even in his efforts she still heard his foot steps as they walked. He had a tell tale thump of the foot. She smiled as she reached the bottom of the stairs and looked behind her. He was trying to not seem close. She always knew where he was.

The backyard of Casterly was sprawling and green. It touched a fence that was the barrier between the grass and the sand of the beaches. She smiled at the warmth of the sun and the sound of the waves crashing. The stables were on the other side of the property. The walk there took a couple of minutes, which Brienne took to look at the landscape of the property that Jaime was always fussing about.

She heard the neighs of horses before she saw Jaime. He was seated on a bucket in front of a horse. He was gently cradling the hoof. 

"This is what you do with your time," Brienne remarked, announcing her presence. 

"You're here," Jaime said, almost in disbelief. "You're early." 

"Am I?" Brienne said, coming around the horse, and running her hand down it's back. "You sent Pod." 

"I sent Pod to see if you were here," Jaime explained. "I was preparing your surprise." 

"And what was that? Or have I ruined it?" 

Jaime shrugged and stood. The horse straightened itself out and shook his head. The mane of long and dark beautiful hair fell down it's back. Brienne ran her fingers through it gently and then placed her hand between it's ears. 

"Your gift is Mistletoe," Jaime said. 

"The plant?" 

"The horse," Jaime said, nodding to the beast in between them. "This is Mistletoe." 

Brienne blinked at the horse and then at Jaime who was wearing one of his smug smiles that usually drove her insane. But he bought her a horse. Or adopted a horse for her. And it's name was Mistletoe.

"That's - " Brienne began. "How did it come by the name Mistletoe?" 

"It belonged to the family," Jaime started. "The children named it Mistletoe and the name just stuck." 

"And how did we come into ownership of Mr. Mistletoe." 

"Miss Mistletoe," Jaime corrected. "I solicited the help of Podrick." 

Well that explained how and why Podrick was there. Also the horse was from the North and that warmed Brienne. Jaime _hated_ the cold and frequently mused how much he hated it. It was why, most often, whenever the temperature changed, they were vacationing in Dorne. Or somewhere in Essos. 

"This is very sweet," Brienne said. "Thank you." 

"Mr. Lannister," a young boy said, breathless, having come running. "There is a phone call for you." 

"Who?" 

"Your brother sir." 

"Naturally," Jaime sighed. 

He turned to Brienne and kissed her cheek in greeting. He offered his arm out for her to take and grinned when she did. 

"Let's go see what my dear old brother wants." 

It wasn't long before Brienne was back in the stables. Mistletoe had been reigned and saddled by the time she got to the stables. The sun was beginning to set and what she loved most about the sunsets at Casterly were that they took seemingly forever. 

Thrill filled her as she took the horse off the property and kicked into a full gallop. They charged down the waters edge. She felt the spray of water as the horses feet kicked it up. She turned around when the sun touched the horizon.

Again she kicked the horse into a gallop and they raced the sun. She had made it back just as the sun was disappearing over the horizon. After handing the horse off to a page boy she made her way back to the house. There she was greeted with the sight of Jaime, leaning against the banister. 

"How does she ride?" 

"Fantastic," Brienne said, her voice full of joy. "It's been a while." 

She had missed the fact that from behind his back, Jaime had pulled out a twig of mistletoe and was dangling it above their heads. She let out a roar of laughter and threw her head back, holding onto his arm. When she pulled herself forward, she let her body rest against his. Warmth filling her as his lips brushed her forehead. 

Sometimes, she thought it was crazy that she was dating Jaime Lannister. What was even more crazy was that she was enjoying it. She never wanted to rid of the feeling. 


	2. Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime Lannister figured the Gods were laughing at him as he plowed and cleared the driveway.

The one thing Jaime Lannister enjoyed was the fact that Casterly was warm when it needed and cool when necessary. During the winter, when the air was chilled, the large place heated up in no time. When he was a child Jaime's mother always had the fireplace roaring. She hated being cold. It was probably where he got his distaste for the cold. 

Along with the Gods, she was probably laughing at him ankle deep in the snow, shoveling it. The snow had begun to fall overnight and while it was expected to ease it, it seemed to fall harder. He woke to the flurries and instead of doing the smart thing like stay in bed, he got out. He made warm cider, leaving the canter on the stove and came out to busy himself with the snow covered pathway and driveway. 

Brienne had woken alone, but moved throughout the house to find Jaime outside ankle deep in the snow. She had busied herself with warming more of the cider and pouring it into two cups. Brienne went out to the patio and set her mugs on the small table. She leaned against one of the pillars that framed the top of the stairs. 

"I feel like I should inform the Westerosi press," Brienne said. "That Jaime Lannister is plowing snow." 

"You wouldn't if you knew what was good for you." Jaime smirked, pushing his shovel down into the snow. "Hi." 

"Hi." Brienne laughed, coming to the edge of Jaime's work. 

He stood in the snow and her own shoes weren't snow appropriate. She figured he would keep going, that his pride would get the best of him. But she also didn't have the heart to let him continue when she knew the snow would return. 

"You'll have to do this again tomorrow, you know" Brienne said. "It's expected to snow later." 

Jaime shrugged his shoulder. Brienne shook her head and went back towards the stairs. Just as she was about to take a step onto the first step, she felt something hit her back.

Snow. 

She turned and Jaime had his hands up in immediate surrender. It didn't stop her from picking up a ball of her own snow and launching it at him. He moved and it missed. She picked up another ball and launched it at him. This time it clipped his jacket and dripped down his pant leg. A small victory. 

Aware of his advantage and her disadvantage, Jaime stood in the middle of the drive way, a few feet away from Brienne. The thing about their driveway was that it was wide as it was long. Jaime was moving backwards slowly, packing his snowball, ready to launch it. Brienne was quicker though and launched her own, successfully hitting him. Not nearly as hard as she would have liked, but still. Another small victory. 

"You're going to have to come over here to get me," Jaime yelled. 

"Not in your life Lannister," Brienne yelled back. 

Brienne turned her back to him, fully expecting to get another snowball to the back. His feet crunched in the snow and quieted when he hit cleared ground. It didn't stop his cold fingers coming around her middle and touching the bare skin he found. She hissed but melted against him either way.

He placed a kiss to her cheek and let her go. She turned to him, taking his face in her hands. 

"Come," she ordered gently. "Before your calls begin for the day." 

It always expected. Now that his father was dead and Jaime was preparing to take his father's postion. Daily, he received a series of calls in the morning hours of the day. Security updates, political mishaps over night, things that he, a high borne son of Westeros was expected to know, were all phoned in. 

Jaime followed Brienne's lead and picked up the extra mug of cider. 

Warmth filled him when he stepped into the house and thankfulness filled him. 

His mother was always adamant about keeping the house warm, but she was also adamant about having him be happy. She would be glad to see him as happy as he was now. With Brienne. He knew it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the reviews and kudos! Let me know what you think!


	3. Nutcracker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selwyn Tarth comes to Casterly with a gift for Jaime.

Filled with nerves and anxiety, Brienne was up early. She couldn’t deal with knowing they had to clean a few things up and have things ready for when her father arrived. She wanted the few weeks he was with them to be perfect. A feat she was starting to think was impossible.

Jaime woke with her and had gone to the small store at the end of their street. Brienne was ensuring the rooms were set. She was answering calls and fielding questions about Jaime’s senate seat. She wanted to tell them that he was, but it wasn’t going to go over well if it was “leaked” early, despite the fact that everyone pretty much knew it was going to happen. They had to have permission from the King to do it.

They had been invited to King’s Landing by the King to join him and his family for the Holidays. Sansa would be there and Brienne was tempted. It would have been possible to get her father to King’s Landing, but Casterly was isolated enough to just let him be. There wouldn’t be anyone making decisions for him or asking him a million questions on what he wants. She wanted him to be at peace.

“Brienne?” she heard someone yell from the first floor.

She went out into the hallway and leaned over the banister that gave her a small window down to the first floor. She saw Jaime’s boots and then a second. Her heart raced. Her feet carried her down the rest of the hallway and down the stairs. She paused on the small platform and gasped. Tears caused her eyes to become glassy.

“Father,” she said on an exhale.

She found herself nearly falling down the stairs into him. Selwyn Tarth was a tall man, taller than she. For as long as she could remember he was always so muscular. Now he was just tall and thin, a stark reminder that he was unwell.

“You were coming later,” Brienne said, stepping back from him. “You weren’t supposed to be here until dinner.”

“I had help,” Selwyn smirked. “I was the chore.”

Brienne tossed a look at Jaime who was standing back. Her face was soft, and her eyes filled with appreciation. She nodded, ever so slightly, and gave him a small smile. He smiled in return.

Brienne opened her mouth to speak, but her father erupted into a fit of coughs. While Brienne walked him into the library Jaime went and got him water.

To Jaime, Brienne was very head strong. She knew what was expected of her always. She refused to give up and refused to let other’s fail. She valued honor and it’s definition. It was one of the best things he has learned from her.

It didn’t surprise him to find her curled up, asleep, next to her father on the couch. Her father sat up, reading a history book of the Westerosi King’s when Jaime came to check on them a few hours later. He was answering correspondence in the other room, letting them have their time together. It wasn’t until he stopped hearing the rumblings of conversation and Brienne’s laugh that he figured he’d go check.

Selwyn looked over the top of his book at Jaime and grinned. Setting the closed book on the table, Selwyn attempted to adjust himself. A gentle moan came from Brienne, ceasing movements.

“In my bag,” Selywn began, suddenly needing to catch his breath. “Is a gift. Bring it to me.”

Jaime did as he was told and pulled out a small wrapped gift. Stepping back into the room, he saw that Selwyn had his head back on the couch and was still breathing.

“Here,” Jaime said gently.

“You know I’m dying,” Selywn said. “This – this is from my father. I want you to have it.”

Jaime turned the small package over in his hands and gently unwrapped it. In his hands, pillowed by the wrapping paper, sat a hand carved Nutcracker. Seemingly freshly painted, the little man wore blue armor. On its back, the man wore the Tarth family crest. Jaime settled it back into its nest of paper and sat it on the table.

“This should be hers,” Jaime said, honestly. “She’s a Tarth, not me.”

“If I know my daughter,” Selwyn began, letting out a light cough. “She’ll be a Lannister by the end of the new year.”

Jaime smirked and avoided her father’s eyes.

“Have you asked her?”

“For her hand?” Jaime asked. “I don’t know if it’s necessary at this point. She’s going to be with me for the run and we just kind of settled.”

“So you’re running? For your father’s seat.”

“I don’t know if running is the proper explanation,” Jaime said. “I’m essentially being given the seat, but we have to go through the pretense of running.”

“And she’ll be with you?”

“I’m here,” Brienne grumbled, rubbing her hand over her face. “You two talk too much.”

Brienne sat up and again rubbed her hands over her face, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes.

“How long was I out?” Brienne asked either her father or Jaime.

“I did my calls,” Jaime said. “We have a conference in a week. And dinner.”

“Dinner?” Brienne asked. “Why?”

“We have to lay out the campaign,” Jaime said. “I think it’s just dinner. I’m not quite sure. You’ll have to read the thread.”

“I see why you like him, dear,” Selwyn said, nodding towards Jaime. “He’s quick on his toes.”

Brienne’s face blushed and Jaime smirked.

“No wonder you’ll marry him.”

Jaime didn’t know if he had seen her turn any redder than she had in that moment. Her eyes latched onto Jaime’s and Jaime shrugged.

They had talked about getting married. Briefly. It was just something that they agreed on. Before he was to take office, whenever that time came. Now that Tywin was gone, that time was quickly approaching. The gossip of when had slowly begun to creep around King’s Landing and seemed to have followed them even to Casterly.

“Father, I love you, but do shut up,” Brienne laughed, shrugging his comment off.

Would Brienne like to get married right now, that night, with her father there with her? Of course. Would it be reasonable? Probably not. But was there ever the right moment to get married when the bride’s father was dying, and the groom’s father was dead? No. So they would take it slow.

“Your father gave me something,” Jaime said later that night.

They had gone to dinner not far from the house. A small place that served warm food and a good ale. Selwyn praised the place on the short drive back. It wasn’t long until they arrived at the house that Selwyn excused himself to go to bed. It was still early in the evening, but Brienne noticed how drained he looked.

Jaime showed Brienne the small Nutcracker that Selwyn had presented him earlier in the day. She smiled warmly, taking it from him and flipping it over, mimicking his own motions.

“My grandfather had this made the first year he was married,” Brienne told him. “When my mother died, my grandfather gave it to Father. Now he’s given it to you.”

“You can have it,” Jaime said. “I’m not a Tarth.”

“And yet he gave it to you,” Brienne said, handing it back to him. “It’ll go on our mantle whenever we decide on a house.”

“He wants us to be married,” Jaime said. “The question is, do you want to get married?”

“You already know the answer to that,” Brienne smirked, taking that time to slip into their bathroom.

As he followed her in, he smiled at the answer that formed in his mind.

 _Yes_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the reviews and the kudos! Let me know what you think!


	4. Cranberry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her father was sick and dying, nothing like a good set of cookies that could take Brienne's mind off it.

Warmth and glee filled Brienne when she woke up the next morning. After a late night of talking and things, curled up next to Jaime was what she was expecting. It wasn’t what she woke up to. So she laid in bed until the warmth started to seep away and she heard the faint clanging’s of pots and pans. The house was huge with not very thick walls.

Brienne had taken her time going downstairs to the main part of the house. She heard the water run, hitting metal, and looked into the small sitting room and saw the greying puff of hair that belonged to Jaime over the high back chair. She figured it was her father in the kitchen, so she let him be for a little while longer and went to Jaime.

Slipping her hands over the back of the chair, she leaned over it and let her hands travel down the man’s chest. She grinned at the intake of breath and the puff of air against her cheek.

“Well,” he said. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she said, surprising her voice was still thick with sleep. “What are you guys up to?”

Weaving their fingers together, Jaime pulled Brienne around the and settled her on his lap lightly.

“He got sick,” Jaime said low. “He’s okay.”

Brienne started to stand and paced the small pace of the living room. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. It was early. Tyrion called.”

“Early?”

“He’s been running some numbers,” Jaime told her. “To see when the best time would be to announce.”

Brienne nodded and wiped away the tears that had formed. Jaime stood and took her by the elbow, pulling her to him. He let her elbow go and framed her face with his hand.

“He’s okay,” Jaime said. “He apologized for waking me up. I’m going to let him think I was asleep.”

“What is he doing?”

“Baking,” Jaime grinned. “Wanted to surprise you with some cookies.”

Brienne looked to the ceiling and let the tears form. This was going to be her last Christmas with her father, and she was finding herself enveloped in the world of Jaime Lannister. She was worrying about his career not so much her father. She wanted to melt into her father’s arms and for a while be a child again.

“Brienne, he’s okay,” Jaime said again. “He told me about him getting sick. Why he does it. He’s okay.”

“But he’s dying.”

“Yes.”

Brienne looked into the kitchen from an angle. Her father was rolling out a sheet of dough and he looked fine. Strong and tall. Brienne knew better. He was dying there, little bit by little bit.

Brienne turned to Jaime, in a motion that surprised him. It was quick and deliberate. Her face had melted into the mask he had seen only when they were first together. When she was unsure about him, untrusting.

“If he dies in this house, I’m never coming back.”

“My father might not like it, but I’ll burn it down,” Jaime laughed.

“I’m serious,” Brienne said. “If my father dies in this house, I will not come back. I’ll stay in King’s Landing.”

“We can build a new place,” Jaime said. “I might have to buy a new house anyway.”

“We,” Brienne corrected. “We might need to buy a new house.”

They were staring at each other when a bowl hit the floor. They were still standing at each other when the rattle of dishes knocked against the bowls of the sink. It was only the booming voice from the doorway of the kitchen, anger etched around his eyes, and a tone Brienne immediately melted at.

“Are you two done calculating my fate? Or am I going next door and giving away these cranberry cookies?”

Brienne looked to her father with an apology on the tip of her tongue. She watched as Selwyn’s eyes darted between her and Jaime. She wanted to look back but forced herself not to. They would continue their conversation later.

Addressing Jaime, Selwyn tilted his head to the kitchen, “Go try one. Maybe put on some coffee.”

Jaime nodded and moved. He slipped by them and let Selwyn talk to Brienne.

The older man stepped up to his daughter, not worried about the perception of intimidation. He was a dying man, weaker by the day. Yet, he still had his wits about him.

“Listen to me,” Selwyn said. “If I die in this house, I die in this house. If I die in our home in Tarth, I die in our home in Tarth. Do you hear me?”

Brienne nodded. “Yes.”

“If I die in this house you will come back to this house. You will raise your family here. You will do whatever needs to be done and it will be done in this house.”

Brienne nodded, swallowing hard.

“I am dying, Brienne. That is a fact. I will die when I die.” Selwyn told her. “I need you to stop thinking about it.”

“It’s hard not to.”

“Am I here now?” Brienne nodded. “Then that’s all you have to think about.”

Brienne smiled a small smile.

“Now, let’s get in that kitchen before Jaime eats all of your cranberry oatmeal cookies.”

Brienne let her father gather her up and take her into the kitchen. Jaime was standing next to a plate of cookies and a vat of steaming coffee. Three cups were set out. Jaime moved aside and let Selwyn fuss with everything, preparing the coffee on the small table that sat in the corner.

Jaime wrapped an arm around Brienne’s waist and leaned into her. “You okay?”

She looked at him, ever so slightly down casted and nodded. “He’s alive and I need to focus on it.”

“Smart. What about the other thing?”

“If he dies here, he dies here.” Brienne shrugged. “He wants me to come back and raise my family.”

Jaime smirked and shrugged a shoulder. “If there is one to have.”

Brienne shoved him towards the table. Jaime, in the early days of their relationship, admitted he wanted three kids. 

Brienne smirked at the memory as she bit down into her cranberry cookie. _If_ was never just that. It was always something that happened.

And she was okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and the kudos! Keep them coming! 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!

**Author's Note:**

> I took liberties and mixed things up a bit. Let me know what you think!


End file.
